Abstract: MR1.00001 : Bringing Space Down to Earth: Exploring the Physics of Space Plasmas in the Laboratory*

Author:

Gregory G. Howes(University of Iowa)

Laboratory experiments provide a valuable complement to explore the
fundamental physics of space plasmas without the limitations inherent
to spacecraft measurements. Specifically, experiments overcome the
restriction that spacecraft measurements are made at only one (or a
few) points in space, enable greater control of the plasma conditions
and applied perturbations, can be reproducible, and are orders of
magnitude less expensive than launching spacecraft. I will highlight
key open questions about the physics of space plasmas and identify the
aspects of these problems that can potentially be tackled in
laboratory experiments, reviewing past successes in the laboratory
investigation of the physical processes at play in different space
environments, including the solar corona, solar wind, planetary
magnetospheres, and outer boundary of the heliosphere. A strategy for
future laboratory investigations of space physics will be outlined,
with explicit connections to specific space environments.

*NSF/DOE Partnership Grant No. DE-SC0014599

To cite this abstract, use the following reference: http://meetings.aps.org/link/BAPS.2017.DPP.MR1.1